


Ascension

by FourEyedPanda



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Multi, Only put up the five members but people from different groups will appear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-22 14:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8289638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FourEyedPanda/pseuds/FourEyedPanda
Summary: Seulgi couldn’t believe what was happening in front of her. If not for the fact that her whole body was hurting like hell she would think that she was in some sort of crazy dream. But no, all of this is real. As much as she doesn’t want it to be, it is. In front of her was some sort of gigantic spider. The enormous arachnid might have already killed her if not for her two best friends, Joohyun and Wendy, who she now realizes were not exactly human as well.





	1. New Friends

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this first at AFF under a different title. Planning to leave that site and start fresh here. So if you've read this before, there will be changes.

Seulgi couldn’t believe what was happening in front of her. If not for the fact that her whole body was hurting like hell she would think that she was in some sort of crazy dream. But no, all of this is real. As much as she doesn’t want it to be, it is. In front of her was some sort of gigantic spider. The enormous arachnid might have already killed her if not for her two best friends, Joohyun and Wendy, who she now realizes were not exactly human as well.

Her unnie was cloaked from head to toe in bright purple flames and was sporting some kind of long bushy tail. Actually, there were nine tails.

Wendy on the other hand was cold. So cold in fact, that the very air around her seemed to freeze. Seulgi couldn’t help but think of that one animated movie Wendy likes so much.

“Seul, we promise we’ll explain everything later, but right now you have to get away from here. Seungwan and I can handle this,” the older one said to her.

It took a few seconds for Seulgi to comprehend what Irene said to her. And when she did, she tried her best to run away despite her body’s protests. She turns to look back at Wendy and Irene when she notices the giant spider suddenly shooting a large cluster of webs at her.

“Oh no, you don’t!”

The fire covering Joohyun suddenly extends, burning the web that was headed straight for Seulgi.

“Run Seulgi! We’ll catch up with you later!” Wendy shouts at her.

And run she did, still hoping that all of this was just a dream.

**13 years ago**

_“Seulgi, I know it’s going to be hard for you but this is for your father’s job. Don’t be sad, I’m sure you’ll make new friends in the city,” a woman said, consoling her sobbing daughter._

_“But what about my friends here?” Seulgi asked. “Will I ever see them again?”_

_“Of course dear, when you’re older, maybe we’ll visit them.”_

†

_It’s been a few days since Seulgi and her parents moved to the city. One afternoon while playing on the playground of her new school, a girl approached her._

_“How come I haven’t seen you before?” the girl asked Seulgi._

_Seulgi, surprised with the sudden voice, took a few seconds to compose herself before answering._

_“That’s because I just moved here a few days ago and I just started going to school today.”_

_“Oh, so you’re the new kid from the countryside. I’ve heard about you from the other kids. Don’t worry, I know how it feels to be the new kid. I transferred here myself just last year from another country.”_

_“Really? Which country?” Seulgi’s eyes widened with amazement._

_“Canada. It’s really far away.”_

_“Do you ever miss your home back there?”_

_“Sometimes, but I have a new home here now.”_

_“That’s nice.”_

_“Hey, you wanna be friends?”_

_“Sure. I’m Seulgi.”_

_“Seungwan. But my friends like to call me Wendy.”_

**10 years ago**

_10 year-olds Seulgi and Seungwan, or Wendy as she liked being called, were coming home from school when they noticed a truck with men unloading boxes into the house next to Seulgi’s._

_“Looks like someone’s finally moving into that vacant house next to yours, Seul,” Wendy said to her friend._

_“Yeah, I wonder if they have a kid. It’ll be nice to have a new friend,” Seulgi answered._

_“Let’s go see.”_

_Wendy took Seulgi’s hand and ran towards the house. They craned their necks hoping to find someone their age and were elated when they saw a very pretty young girl standing near the doorway. The two of them waved once they saw the girl but she quickly ran into the house. Both of their faces fall, sad that they couldn’t make a new friend._

_“Maybe she’s just shy,” Wendy said, cheering up Seulgi._

_“Yeah, maybe, I hope we get to know her better though. She seemed nice. Plus she’s really pretty!”_

_Just as the two were about to head back, a voice came from inside the house._

_“And who might you two be?” a young man dressed in a white shirt and black jeans, asked them._

_Wendy, being the ever talkative girl that she is, answered for the both of them._

_“My name is Seungwan, but my friends call me Wendy. This is Seulgi, she lives next door.”_

_“H-hello,” Seulgi added quietly. She was alright with people near her age, but suddenly became shy when talking to older people._

_“Hi Seungwan, hi Seulgi. My name is Jonghyun. I’m assuming you’ve met my little sister Joohyun?” the girl from earlier suddenly appears behind her older brother’s legs. “Come on Joohyun, say hi.”_

_“B-but Onni-chan, I mean, Oppa,” Joohyun whined. Seulgi thought she was cute._

_“Onni-chan?” Wendy asked._

_“What? Oh, I’m sorry. That’s Japanese for big brother. We just moved here today from Japan. Joohyun speaks Korean, but she still sticks a little Japanese here and there. I’ve told her many times to call me Oppa but she just likes calling me Onni-chan, I guess,” Jonghyun explained._

_“Really? That’s so cool. I moved from another country, too! But that was long ago.”_

_“Which country?”_

_“Canada! You speak Korean really well, by the way.”_

_“Thank you, hey, would you two girls mind doing me a favor?”_

_“That depends, what kind of favor?”_

_“See, little Joohyun here is quite shy, it would really mean a lot to me if you two would befriend her.”_

_“Oh! That’s easy, we wanted to be Joohyun’s friends anyways.”_

_“See Joohyun, they’re nice,” Jonghyun said to his little sister. “Go say hi to them.”_

_“K-koni,” Joohyun starts, but quickly realizes that she’s about to greet them in another language, “I mean, hello,” Joohyun finishes, still behind her brother’s legs._

_“Hello Joohyun! I’m Seungwan, but you can call me Wendy since we’re gonna be friends! This is Seulgi,” Wendy said._

_“Hello Joohyun. Do you wanna play with us?” Seulgi added._

_“S-sure,” Joohyun then looked at her older brother, “Onni-I mean, Oppa, is it okay if I go play with them?”_

_“Yeah, just be back before dinner, alright? Mom and Dad might get worried.”_

**The Present**

It’s been around fifteen minutes since Wendy and Joohyun told Seulgi to run away. She figures that whatever it is that attacked her and is now fighting her friends must be far away. Exhausted from everything that has happened to her, Seulgi just slumps down on a nearby alley to take a rest and gather her thoughts.

_What the hell was that thing? I’ve never heard of spiders that can grow that big. And what about Wendy and Joohyun-unnie? What’s up with them? Fire and tails? Ice? No normal human being can do that. Have they been lying to me about who they really are all this time? But why? Is it because they think I would be afraid? I mean, I am. I scared as hell but don’t they trust me?_

Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard someone calling her name.

“Seulgi! Where are you?”

“Jonghyun-oppa?” Seulgi asked, picking herself up from the ground.

“Seulgi? Oh, thank god you’re safe. Are you hurt anywhere?” Jonghyun was about to check her for injuries when the younger girl suddenly stepped back.

“What’s wrong Seulgi?” he asked, a hurt look etched on his face.

“Are you like her?”

“Like who?”

“Joohyun.”

Jonghyun’s face suddenly became one of surprise, then of annoyance, then of exasperation. It would have been funny if it weren’t for the current circumstances.

“I’ll explain everything once I get you home. Please, Seulgi. I’m not sure whether or not that  _tsuchigumo_  who attacked you has friends, but I’m not willing to risk it,” Jonghyun stretched his hand for Seulgi to take.

“How did you even find me?”

“Joohyun. She contacted me and told me where the  _tsuchigumo_  attacked you. From there I just followed your scent.”

“My scent?”

“I know that sounds weird and borderline perverted, but please, you have to trust me.”

Seulgi, still unsure whether or not she could trust Jonghyun, just looks at him with uncertainty.

“Seulgi, we’ve known each other for ten years. If I wanted to do something bad to you don’t you think I would have done it a long time ago? Please, just take my hand and I’ll get you safely back to your house. From there we’ll explain everything.”

“Alright,” Seulgi says, giving up. “But please, not my house. I don’t think I want to go there right now.”

“Why not?”

“Just, please.”

“Alright, I’ll take you to my place.”

Seulgi nods and takes Jonghyun’s hand. He suddenly pulls her into an embrace. Before she could say anything or push away, Jonghyun just whispers. “Hold your breath, and whatever you do, don’t let go.”

Huge, blue flames suddenly engulfed the two of them and after a second, they vanished.


	2. The Truth

Frost flows down from a giant block of ice. Inside it, the body of a giant scorched spider lies dying. Its eight beady eyes trained on the two women it was fighting earlier. If it could speak, it would surely curse the both of them to Hell.

“How’s Seul?” Wendy asks Joohyun as she shakes off small pieces of ice stuck on her shirt.

“She’s fine. Jonghyun brought her back to our place,” Joohyun answered, not looking at Wendy.

“How do you think she’s handling all this? This isn’t exactly how we planned on telling her the truth.”

“Honestly, Seungwan?” Joohyun faces Wendy then. “I don’t know.”

The ice woman just sighs. She just hopes Seulgi would listen to them once they explain everything to her.

“How do you think that  _tsuchigumo_  knew where Seulgi was?” Wendy asks her vixen friend.

“Maybe it’s already making its move,” she answers.

“ _Now_? But why? The ascension is months away,” Wendy’s face showing doubt.

“Let’s talk about this later. We still have to get back to Seulgi. Plus, I don’t want to be here when that  _tsuchigumo_ ’s partner appears.”

“How do you know it has a partner?”

“It was missing a leg.”

“And?”

“And? What do you mean and?”

“How did you find out that  _tsuchigumo_  has a partner because of a missing leg?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? When a  _tsuchigumo_  and a  _jorogumo_  proclaim their love to one another, they give each other one of their legs. Sort of a twisted version of how humans give each other rings.”

“Ew.”

“I know, right?”

The two continue to walk home in the darkness of the night.

“Hey Seungwan, you sure you don’t want to use my foxfire to get back home?”

“Yes, Joohyun. You know that I don’t like fire.”

“But my fire’s different. You know that. It only burns what I want it to burn.”

“I know. But it’s still fire, can’t help but feel uncomfortable.”

“Alright, suit yourself.”

†

Seulgi was sitting on her Joohyun-unnie’s bed, her head between her knees. In the past few hours she thought that things like giant spiders, and not-so-human humans only existed in books. She was trying to wrap her head around everything when she heard a knock on the bedroom door.

“Seulgi?” it was Jonghyun. “Joohyun and Seungwan are here.”

He didn’t want to force Seulgi to go out, so he patiently waited by the door. As soon as the door opened, Jonghyun offered Seulgi a reassuring smile, silently telling her that everything is alright. He escorted her downstairs where she found her two friends, not a scratch on their bodies to signify they were fighting a giant spider only a few minutes ago.

“Seulgi,” Joohyun spoke first.

“Joohyun-unnie, Wendy. Are you two alright?” Seulgi interrupted, asking her friends.

_Just like Seulgi to worry about us_ , Joohyun thought.

“Yeah, we’re fine. We took care of that  _tsuchigumo_ ,” Wendy answered.

“I’ve been hearing that name since earlier but, what exactly is a  _tsuchigumo_? Is it that spider that attacked me earlier?” Seulgi asked.

“Yes, and _tsuchigumo_  means earth spider. It’s a  _yokai_. A monster,” Joohyun answered.

“A monster? But things like that shouldn’t exist. They’re a reason it’s called mythology, they’re myths! And you two! Please tell me my eyes were just playing tricks. Please tell me I did not see what I saw back there!” Seulgi shouted, her eyes threatening to spill tears.

Joohyun and Wendy looked at each other and nodded. It was time they told Seulgi everything, the hidden world around them and what she truly is.

“Look Seul, the truth is. We’re not exactly human, as you may have guessed. But so are you, in a way,” Wendy said. “I’m a  _yuki-onna_ , a snow woman. And Joohyun and Jonghyun are-“

“ _Kitsune_ , foxes,” Joohyun finished.

“ _Yuki-onna_?  _Kitsune_? But those things are only folklore, fairy tales, stories told to amuse and scare children,” Seulgi was shaking her head. They had to be joking. Maybe she was being Punk’d. But her doubt quickly faded away when she turned to face her two friends, friends who apparently haven’t told her the most important thing about themselves. The fact that they’re not human, but rather, _yokai_.

She focused her gaze on the older one. Her Joohyun-unnie’s normally brown eyes have become golden and the tails Seulgi saw on before have come back. All nine of them. Around her unnie, three purple balls of flame float around, it must be the weirdness of the situation but Seulgi could swear the three fireballs were chasing each other, as if playing tag.

Seulgi feels a chill run down her spine, though she knows that rather from fear, it’s from the cold her same-aged friend Wendy was emitting. She stares her friend in her piercing blue eyes and feels the same warmth she felt whenever Wendy comforted her whenever she was feeling down. She notices the ground around Wendy covered in a thin layer of frost.

She puts her head in her hands and finds a seat in the nearby armchair. This was a bit too much for her. It was only yesterday that she and Wendy were going around town, shopping for clothes. Only yesterday that she worries for the hundredth time why her Joohyun-unnie slowly started drifting away from them. And only a few hours ago that she overhears her supposed parents talk about how she’s not actually their daughter and that something called the “ascension” was bound to come soon. It was because of this that she ran away and found herself being attacked by that monstrous spider and ends up being saved by her two friends.

“B-but, why? I mean, why befriend me? I’m just a human being,” Seulgi finally asks.Then something about what Wendy said earlier suddenly hit Seulgi. “Wendy, you said earlier that I’m not exactly human as well. What did you mean?”

“What Wendy meant was,” Joohyun started. “That you’re like us. But not exactly like us. You’re still human, but something inside of you isn’t.”

“Something inside of me? What do you mean? Will this thing kill me?” Seulgi asked, her face full of worry.

“You see Seulgi, before there was anything in our world. There was only light and darkness. Yin and Yang. The _Kirin_ and the _Nue_ ,” Wendy said.

“ _Kirin_ was a being of pure light while _Nue_ , its counterpart, was of pure darkness. They kept the balance. But _Nue_ was not satisfied with the then current status quo. It wanted to be greater than the _Kirin_ , and so it sought out the _Kirin_ ’s destruction. The _Kirin_ , of course, defended itself. Out of the ashes of their great battle, the world was born. Ultimately, _Nue_ was defeated by _Kirin_. But being the opposite of itself, instead of outright killing the _Nue_ , the _Kirin_ merely sealed it away. And so _Kirin_ decided to govern the world created by its battle with _Nue_. But, _Nue_ ’s greed for power was strong. It vowed that it would one day plunge the world into darkness and make it its own. Even from the confines of its prison, it began to draw power. And with power came followers,” Joohyun told Seulgi.

“Where do I fit in in all this?” Seulgi asked.

“Because of the battle, _Kirin_ ’s body was severely injured and thus, it needed a host. A body to house itself until the time comes that _Nue_ decides to return. The _Kirin_ chose a human woman as its host. That woman Seulgi, is one of your ancestors. Ever since then, every firstborn daughter of every firstborn daughter of your family has housed the _Kirin_ ’s spirit inside their body. Continuously fighting the _Nue_ and its forces.”

Seulgi didn’t want to believe what her Joohyun-unnie just said, but the way she said it, Seulgi knew that she wasn’t lying. That there was something inside of her, something akin to a god.

“Seulgi, I know you must have a lot more questions, but I think that it’s best that we talk about all this tomorrow. You need to rest. You’ve been through a lot. Come on, Joohyun-unnie and I will take you home,” Wendy said, her hand reaching out to Seulgi.

“No. I don’t want to go home,” Seulgi said, shaking her head rapidly.

“B-but, why?”

“I asked her earlier but she wouldn’t tell me either,” Jonghyun said. “I think it’s best if Seulgi stays here for the night. I’ll call her parents so they don’t worry.”

Seulgi’s distressed expression suddenly change to anger at the mention of her parents. The three noticed this, but made no attempt at pointing it out to Seulgi. She’s been through a lot already, lord knows she needs her rest.

“Alright, Seulgi can sleep in the guest room. Wendy, will you be staying with us as well?” Joohyun asked.

“Sure, I’m too tired to go home anyway,” Wendy answered. “Come on Seulgi, let’s get you to bed. We’ll finish talking about all this tomorrow.”

And just as Wendy was about to take Seulgi’s hand, a horrible, ear-splitting scream suddenly rang in their ears.

“YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED MY HUSBAND! YOU’RE ALL GOING TO PAY!”


	3. Scarlet Ice

“YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED MY HUSBAND! YOU’RE ALL GOING TO PAY!”

Like a calm before the storm, the room is suddenly enveloped in an eerie silence. Seulgi and her friends waiting for the source of the shrill voice to make its move.

“What was that?” Seulgi whispered.

“Something bad,” Joohyun answered. “Jonghyun, get Seulgi somewhere safe. Seungwan, it seems I was right. That  _tsuchigumo_  did have a  _jorogumo_  as a wife.”

“Come on, Seulgi!” Jonghyun took Seulgi’s hand, taking her away from the angry spider woman. But before they could get away, a strong force suddenly slammed against Jonghyun, knocking him back. Seulgi was suddenly facing a very tall woman with long black hair. She would have been very beautiful if not for the fact that there were three long spider legs protruding out of her back and six small eyes surrounding what would have been where the eyes of a normal human being would be.

“MY HUSBAND IS DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU, BITCH! I’LL KILL YOU!” the  _jorogumo_  screamed, her jaw suddenly breaking apart. Two humungous fangs appear from her mouth, giving the look of a spider about the suck the innards of its prey.

Before the  _jorogumo_  could do anything to Seulgi, it was suddenly hit with a huge block of ice.

“Pick on someone your own size you ugly spider!” Wendy called out.

“YOU! YOU’RE THE YUKI-ONNA WHO WAS THERE! I GUESS I’LL KILL YOU FIRST THEN!”

“Oh no, you don’t!” Joohyun’s flames erupted from her outstretched hand, connecting with the  _jorogumo_  before she could attack Wendy.

“Thanks for the save Joohyun! Now, let’s finish this ugly bug,” Wendy said.

Joohyun and Wendy directed their attacks on the  _jorogumo_ , wanting to end the fight as quickly as possible. Or so they thought. The spider woman rapidly shed its outer skin before the girls’ attacks could connect. It acted as a shield and gave the  _jorogumo_  a chance to back away. The  _jorogumo_  then diverted its attention back to the one being that couldn’t defend herself, Seulgi. She pounced on the helpless girl, her sharp extra legs pointed towards Seulgi.

“SEULGI!”

†

Seulgi braced herself for the worst when she saw the spider woman coming after her, after a few moments though, the pain she was expecting didn’t come. Instead, she felt a warm dripping sensation fall on her cheeks, the smell of iron strong in the air.

“SEUNGWAN!!!” she heared Joohyun scream.

On top of her was one of her best friends, Son Seungwan or Wendy as she liked to be called. A smile on her beautiful face in spite of the fact that two large bloody spider legs are currently impaled through her chest, right where her heart should be.

“W-Wendy?”

“Seulgi,” Wendy wheezed. “Are you alright? You’re not hurt right?” Blood was dripping out of Wendy’s mouth.

Seulgi couldn’t speak, so she merely shook her head shakily in reply.

“That’s good. That’s good,” Wendy smiled at Seulgi. It was one of those smiles she showed others whenever she doesn’t want people worrying for her. Seulgi hated that smile. It’s because Wendy only smiled like that whenever she told her that she was fine, even if she wasn’t. “Now, to finish you off, you crazy spider!”

Seulgi felt the temperature around her suddenly drop. It was like Wendy was freezing air itself. Wendy then muttered words Seulgi couldn’t quite hear. Wendy’s skin was slowly turning white, turning her body into ice. The  _jorogumo_  who stabbed her was panicking, the frost from Wendy’s body was also making its way towards the spider woman. It started to shriek its blood curdling scream from before and only stopped when the ice enveloped her entire being.

Joohyun could only watch in horror as she saw her friend sacrifice herself in order to save Seulgi. Horrible memories suddenly come rushing back to her. Of friends lost. Friends who died in order to protect others. To protect the previous host of the _Kirin_. It was happening all over again. And she was powerless to stop it.


End file.
